Feature Writers

Oilers News

Oilers Announce 2007-08 Schedule

by
Staff Writer
/ Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers open their 28th National Hockey League season on Thursday, October 4th as they host the San Jose Sharks at Rexall Place.

Edmonton will play eight games against their Northwest Division opponents – Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild - four times at home and four times on the road. The Oilers will play four games against each of the remaining teams in the Western Conference, facing their Central and Pacific Division opponents twice at home and twice on the road.

Edmonton will play a total of 10 games against Eastern Conference opponents to round out the 82-game schedule. The Oilers will host the five teams from the Atlantic Division, giving Edmonton fans their first chance to see Sidney Crosby at Rexall Place when the 2006-07 NHL Hart Trophy winner comes to town with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, December 5th. Also coming to Rexall Place for the first time since the 2003-04 season are the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

Edmonton will play five road games against the Southeast Division as the Oilers visit Atlanta, Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. Not making an appearance in Edmonton this season will be teams in both the Northeast and Southeast Divisions.

The Oilers longest homestand of the season is a six-game affair in mid November that will see them host Minnesota (Nov. 15), Calgary (Nov. 17), Vancouver (Nov. 20), Colorado (Nov. 22), Chicago (Nov. 24) and Columbus (Nov. 26). Edmonton will also have a five-game homestand in late February, ending in early March, playing five games at Rexall Place between February 24th and March 4th. March will once again be the busiest month of the season as the Oilers host seven home games, while playing eight games away from Rexall Place.

The 2007-08 NHL schedule, which features 1,230 games, begins on September 29th when the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks open the National Hockey League’s 90th anniversary season with a two-game series against the Los Angeles Kings in London, England. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 9th and will conclude no later than Monday, June 9th. The NHL will take its 2008 All-Star break January 25-28 with the 56th NHL All-Star Game being played on Sunday, January 27th at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.